The Run
by Insert a Catchy Penname Here
Summary: "We're a family now, kiddo. And family is forever, no matter what we have to go through." Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth were a family throughout their run, but there were battles and difficulties that never were brought up. It's not easy being a demigod runaway, but is it harder to stay a family? ***A redo of an old story of mine.***
1. Annoying

The Run

_**Author Note: **_Hello fellow demigods of the Percy Jackson fandom! I haven't written for the fandom in a while….*Shame.* Nevertheless, I was looking through my few old story from this said fandom, and ended up rereading my story 'The Journey'. The reviews were sweet and the plot was decent, but I decided the writing could use _ALOT_ of improvment. The story was about Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth with they were runaways, and I have decided that I will now rewrite that concept, adding a lot of things and….well, making it ten million times better.

Without further rambling, enjoy to the best of your ability!

* * *

Maybe it wasn't the best hiding place, but it was certainly ideal.

The terrified nine-year-old peeked out of the closet, clinging for dear life onto the door handle in the instance he'd need to close himself up. His mother's eyes were glowing demon colors, her voice raspy and shrieking things about him. He didn't understand what she was doing, but he _did _know it was really scary. Now May Castellion finally collapsed in a motionless heap before her son's wide blue eyes.

"Mom!" this inspired him to rush to her side, "Mom, are you alright now?"

She blinked a couple of times, "Oh….oh, yes. Why wouldn't I be, my son? Lunch won't be long, Luke…"

Slowly, she rose and resumed her scorching of the cookies and making of the sandwiches. Hesitantly, he took his usual seat at the table and studied his parent. She was always doing things like that, and he didn't know or like why. His father never cared enough to stay- May always told him he was just busy, but he knew that wasn't the truth. He couldn't trust most of what he said simply because of her "crazy moments".

_I love Mom, but….I'm tired of her being so crazy, _he thought sadly as yet another peanut butter and jelly sandwich was placed in front of him, _what if I found Dad? Then I could really give him a piece of my mind, then Mom and I could be happy!_

In his opinion, that sounded like a pretty good idea.

* * *

Hesitantly, he peered out of the darkened window. The night was humid and warm, the blackness of night ensuring a cover for the young boy. Once he checked to the coast being clear, he swung one leg over the seal before hesitating again.

_What if Mom is really sad when I leave? _He thought worriedly, his frown growing, _I don't want to do that to her….But it'll be good in the end. I've got to try. _

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he slipped out into the unknown. His tennis shoes left the concrete soon, running along the grass as he ducked into the woods. Memories of his mother's "crazy moments" flashed in his mind as he rushed along, but also warmer ones, such as her affection and tales of the Greek gods each night.

_This is for you… _

* * *

Something wet and rough slid against his face, alarming him into consciousness.

He jerked backwards, big blue eyes widening in alarm of the canine now before him. It was adorable enough- a beagle who barely looked to be out of the puppy years. He wagged his tail eagerly, looking quite pleased to see him awake. Luke squinted in the early sunlight that was filtering through the treetops, trying to clear the fog casting over his young mind as the memory of running as fast as he could into the woods the night before.

_I wonder if Mom will look for me….I better go before she can find me, _he thought sleepily and somewhat reluctantly.

The beagle thumped his tail against the ground expectantly. Having never owned a pet, he simply gave him a few pats on the head before stumbling to his feet. Leaves and mud fluttered from his soaked clothes as he began deeper in the forest, small fingers gripping the cloth of his backpack a bit tighter. Now that it was daytime and he was becoming fully awake, thoughts of regret and alterative options were beginning to creep into his mind; it gave him a lot of reluctantly to continue. As if for some level of reassurance, the beagle licked his elbow and wagged friendly.

"You….you can't follow me," he spoke softly to avoid be heard, "nobody can. I have to go find my Dad all by myself."

Obviously not understanding, the beagle simply wagged harder. Rolling his eyes a bit, the nine-year-old continued walking and groaned when he was followed by the insistent dog. Now he slipped his backpack off of his back, turning around and grabbing him by his worn leather collar.

"You have to go," he said louder this time with a light glare, "I don't want anybody to come with me."

A swish of the tail is all he got in response. Sighing a bit, he slid the straps of his bag onto his shoulders once again and headed back out. Considering the padding of four small feet followed his heavier footfall, he didn't bother turning in hopes of simply shaking the beagle's following. Leaves crunched as he trekked further and further into the unknown places rhythmically, giving the young boy time to decide exactly _where _he was going.

_Mom always said that Dad liked to go to Mount Olympus….and Ms. Shower told me that 'mount' meant mountain…._he recalled from both home and his classroom as he jumped over a jog, his face lighting up with realization, _so I just have to go to a mountain! _

It seemed simple enough….he just needed to figure out where he could find a mountain.

* * *

He was a week into his journey and had realized three things:

One: He could not shake that dog to save his bloody life.

Two: He had absolutely no idea where he could find a mountain.

Three: He was really, _really _hungry.

Now he found himself in yet another unfamiliar with no idea where he was heading. The beagle, whom he'd started to call Annoying, wagged as he sniffed the air; Luke caught the whiff of hamburgers himself, and both of their stomachs were signaling their emptiness. Placing one hand on his cramping belly, the child stumbled to a bench and hopelessly ripped open his bag once again. When he'd first left, he'd thrown a few burnt cookies into a plastic baggy reluctantly, but he'd already been reduced to eating them and was now left with no money and nothing to eat.

He took a longing glance over at the hamburger stand nearby. Even Annoying was agreeing with him, wagging hopefully and glancing up at his 'owner'; Luke shook his head.

"I don't have any money…" he said sadly and on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry, I'm really hungry too."

Annoying looked at him in confusion, which only made the boy confused himself, _Why is he looking at me like that? _

Both of them cast another longing look to the food stand in unison.

_I'm so hungry…..but Mom told me to the never steal…._he thought gloomily as his fingers itched to grab as many burgers as they could grasp,_ but….I don't want to be hungry and die… _

He placed in head in his hands from frustrated confliction, _…I'm sorry, Mom. _

Moments later, he was crouched behind an artificial bush directly behind the griller. The second he turned to hand someone their order, the boy had grabbed a steaming burger in each hand and shoved them into his bag. Just as quickly, he snatched a bottle of ketchup and the bag of buns before running off as quickly as he could carry himself. Annoying, as usual, obediently flanked his side with his prize being a hotdog clamped between his teeth.

"We make a pretty good team…" the child whispers, eagerly grabbing up some of the meat and shoving the steaming stuff in his mouth.

Annoying wagged, and it was then and there Luke decided that being in a team wasn't so bad.


	2. News at the Diner

Exactly one year had passed from the day he'd left his mother behind, and the now ten-year-old didn't regret it.

This made him feel a bit guilty. After all, he loved his Mom, and she was the best. The truth was, though, was that he now knew for sure that she was absolutely insane. He still wasn't entirely positive what made her that way, but being away from her had been a breath of containment, dangerous air. It hadn't been easy by any means to keep himself alive, but being a kleptomaniac with a dog who was fast and smart worked in his favor. Both of them had seen their share of monsters, but they still managed alright.

_We're alive and that's all that matters..._Luke thought as he counted out the bills he'd pick-pocketed from the some woman fawning over a sale.

Annoying thumped his tail in approval, as if reading the preteen's mind. He smirked slightly and decided to hit the local cafe, looking at his dog and ordering quietly, "Just hang out here and I'll bring you a burger."

He obeyed instantly, leaving the boy to head inside. It had an old fashioned feel to him, warm like a fire-lite in the home and empty like a sleepy town. A waitress with her dark hair pulled in a loose bun greeted him from behind the counter, and he smiled thinly in return while sitting across from her. She poured him a cup of coffee, raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you a bit young to be in here alone?" she inquired.

He shrugged weakly, "Maybe."

She just nodded quietly and picked up her notebook from her skirt pocket, "What'll it be, sweetie?"

Luke barely looked down at the menu, "Double cheeseburger with no pickles, then a regular cheeseburger without mustard. Lots of fries with both and a Diet Coke."

The waitress looked around him and, seeing nobody near, inquired, "Hungry, sweetheart?"

He nodded and stared the counter. He was tired of dealing with people- they annoyed him and made him kind of afraid. Every time he got kind of nice they either threw him to the dogs or turned into monsters; he truly trusted nobody. The waitress luckily let him be, leaving him to sink down onto the counter and flutter shut his eyes briefly.

"Kid," a tall, muscular biker growled, "no sleeping here. They'll kick you out."

Groaning briefly, he forced himself to sit up. The man was intimidating enough, but Luke was so exhausted that he didn't give a crap if he was Ares or a god himself. All he wanted was to be able to sleep with somebody trying to rape or kill or rob him, but of course he couldn't. It was pretty much the life he chose to live, and while he loved it, he absolutely hated it.

"You a demigod?" the man asked casually, plopping down cooly beside him.

The boy narrowed his eyes and grabbed his dagger in his pocket, "What's it you, _demon_?"

He laughed out loud, "Please. I'm not a monster, kid, I'm the war god."

His youthful blue eyes narrowed further, "How stupid do you think I am?" With that, he whipped out his danger and plunged it straight into...the back of the chair.

Ares bellowed with laughter, "Nice try, little demigod. Don't make me take you outside and put you in your place."

A shudder shook his being as he tried to growl, "I...I...I don't want you to help me. All you'll do is use and me and stuff like you do everyone else. Why are you here? Why are you talking to me?"

The war god chuckled briefly, then got a serious glow in his flames that replaced eyes, "I've got a demigod little sister, right? She's not much to fuss over, I guess, but Dad likes to play favorites. He wants you to save her ass before he has too."

Luke scowled, "And what's in it for me?"

"I'll buy your food for you and your dog tonight and you don't die," Ares snorted.

The boy pretended to consider it more than he did. When the gods got involved and started to boss you around, he seriously doubted that he could do much about it. Besides, he'd fought too damn hard to stay alive to be turned into a candle by the war god. Sighing reluctantly, he accepted the payment and shoved some of the food into his mouth, stepping out to feed Annoying.

"What's her name? What does she look like?" he inquired to the god.

He merely swung himself up on his Harley and reeved the engine, "Thalia Grace. She's still at home, but I'll make sure she'll be somewhere in the state forest lines when she gets lost. You'll know when."

The boy narrowed his eyes, "And what if I'm not here?"

"Then you're screwed."

And with a cruel laugh, Ares vanished into the night. Luke rolled his eyes and turned his back sharply, stalking down the road with Annoying wolfing down the last of his diner. Both had full stomachs, but the ten-year-old's heart was hollow and full of despair.

_That Thalia chick better come soon or I'm leaving myself. _


	3. Forced by Fire

The Run 3

"She's clear," a police officer informed the ten year old. Anger tightened her face further as she clenched her fists, having a good mind to knock some sense into his head.

"What do you mean she's _clean?!" _she demanded tightly, "of _course _she's not! SHE GAVE AWAY MY LITTLE BROTHER!"

"Get yourself in line, young lady," the officer frowned, "there's tons of crooks around here. We'll try to find him, but until then, it's rather naughty to blame something like that on your poor single mother."

And with that, all of the officers packed up and headed for their station. As she watched them, Thalia Grace knew there was no way in _Hades_ they were actually to look for her little brother. Poor, innocent Jason was gone, and it was all her mother's fault. For that, she decided that she'd leave herself and go looking for him for herself. Someone touched her shoulder in a comforting way, but she merely shrugged it off and jerked around.

"You have a lot of nerve doing this to me," she told her mother tightly before stalking inside.

That night, she packed a bag of canned goods and a few extra clothes. She wore her gift from her father on her wrist, a shield named Aegis, keeping it retracted as she climbed out of the window. She didn't bother leaving a note for her insane parent figure- it wouldn't matter anyway. As her footsteps echoed down the misty empty streets, she couldn't help but think about how out of place she must seem with her braided hair and sunny, good-girt type clothes her mother always liked.

_Dad always liked goth better, anyway..._she mused as the night became her only cover and enemy.

* * *

She still had Aegis as a valuable weapon and defense weapon, and she'd scored a spear. Those were the only good things from the past couple of months she'd been running around, trying to stay alive against the monsters and demons and stay uncaught from the cops nearby her home town.

As she stumbled into the clearing, it occurred to her for the first time how desperate she must've looked. Her hair was chopped from parts being yanked and pulled out, all of her clothes were ruined, and she was bone thin from going weeks without real, healthy food. It almost pleased her to be in such a horrible condition- it meant she was still able to overcome that and make it on her own. The sense of loneliness was beginning to linger in her thoughts and soul, though, the longer she trekked on and the more monsters she won against. It seemed like everyone, human or not, had some kind of ally or partner they could rely on and trust with every problem.

Part of her wanted that as well.

_An alliance will only slow me down..._she willed herself mentally as she started building a fire for some warmth, _I'm doing fine on my own. _

"So, do you have any idea where you're going yet?"

Thalia tensed up with her head snapping in the direction of his voice. He looked only a couple of years older than herself, and his torn up clothes and several scratches/bruises showed he'd seen some battles himself. She squinted in the growing fire light, putting up her shield and watching smugly as he flinched away from Medusa.

"What's it to you?" she asked blandly.

"I was sent her by your godly big brother," he snorted shortly, "not by choice. Apparently your father likes to play favorites, and Ares decided to pass that message along to me."

"That's the most lame story I have ever heard," Thalia snorted, holding up her trusty spear, "get out of here before I use your head as bait."

The ground began to tremor as she this, making both preteens look around frantically. She was seriously beginning to consider her having some kind of epic Zeus-like power...well, at least until the Harley came out of the ground with a grinning war god eating what appeared to be a chilli dog. He gave his 'little sister' a wicked, chilli-stained grin as he swallowed the last of his food, leaning against the ground with one long, powerful leg.

"I thought it was good enough," he smirked briefly, then looked at her with flames in his already burning eyes, "so I hear you like fighting off the big bad monsters and playing avenger for your baby brother."

Despite knowing he was a god, she became quickly tired of him and hefted up Aegis. "I may not be able to hurt you, Ares, but get lost."

"I will after I see you two allies kiss," the war god merely smirked and leaned back against his Harley, "I literally have all year."

Color gathered on both of their youthful, scarred faces. The ten year old merely scoffed at both of them, stomping out her small fire and slinging her pack on. The boy watched as she gave them a last resentful glance, then as she stalked toward the dark, much more deadly forest. A wave of heat suddenly rocketed from the cool grass, however, sending both of them crashing forward and scrambling away. The flames began closing in, trapping them in a sort of ring with no way to climb over or under without being burned severely.

The worst part? They were in a small space together. The even worse part? Ares was laughing his ass off.

"You asshole!" Thalia shouted, finding her back pressed against the two-year-older boy's.

"Kiss and I leave you two to kill each other!" he called back smugly.

She turned toward the blonde with a scowl. Despite all of his imperfections, he was actually pretty good looking- beautiful blue eyes, messy hair, a playful smirk on his face. All of the scars and bruises even began looking pretty good to the hormonal female as the flames grew taller, looming over them and forcing their bodies closer.

"I wouldn't mind having my first kiss, you know..." He mumbled this against her shirt as he began gagging on the smoke, making her smirk.

"You got lucky, Blondie."

Grabbing his thin roughly, she pulled up his face and shoved her lips onto his. It was awkward in several ways for both of them- neither of them were big on affection and had never kissed another- but it seemed satisfy Ares enough. His smug laughter sparked rage anew inside the spirited younger demigod, inspiring her to hurl her spear at his face.

"Jerk!" she shouted as he easily swerved away.

Smirking, he kicked the weapon back to her as he started up his Harley. "Have fun, lovebirds!" he taunted, reeving the engine to drown out their shouted protests and vanishing into the descending night.

The boy snorted briefly himself as she scooped up the spear and retracted the shield. "I never did like that guy, anyway. Besides him, though, my name's Luke."

"Name's Thalia," she offered with a small grunt of fatique, "so...allies, right?"

His eyes widened. "Are you serious? Seconds ago you wanted to use my head as demon bait and suddenly we're allies? Are my lips just that talented?"

"No, they have about as much talent as dead fish. But you're decent enough, I guess."

"...I like you."


	4. Trying to Forget

The Run 4

"He's cute even when he's filthy," Thalia commented while scratching the beagle behind the ear, causing some serious wagging and a lick.

"I guess so," Luke merely shrugged, bending forward and sticking yet another stolen marshmellow over the flames. "So, is there any reason why an attitudinal badass like you is wearing a pink dress?"

"It's the only clothes I have," she replied simply, tightly.

"Then why the hell didn't you just steal some new ones?"

The girl went quiet. As much as hated her mother, her girly-type clothes reminded her of the only thing familiar to her. It was also her token to Jason, in a way, to show she was still a fighter and that she remembered him. She hated the thought of giving them up totally, because that would mean letting go. Though it may be best at that point in her life and struggles, she wasn't ready too and wasn't really willing. She wanted to remember him, to never forget his sweet face or little laugh...

"Hello? Earth to Thalia?" Luke raises his eyebrow higher and waved a hand before her face, snapping her back to reality.

"No reason," she responded curtly.

He frowned a bit deeper. "You want to represent that bitch you call a parent?"

Now she narrowed her eyes and frowned herself, retorting sharply, "Like you don't still have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies!"

His slight smirk dropped as she looked away bitterly. Slowly, he inches closer, muttering in her ear, "Sensitive subject, much?"

"Stay out of this, Luke. It's stupid..." she merely grumbled, gripping onto the girl-colored cloth around her. It was actually the only piece of clothing that she'd brought that survived, and to lose it...

"There are other ways of...representing who you still love..." he said slowly. "Did they like music?"

"...Rock and roll. Alternative, like me..." She recalled, her voice distancing from reality as her eyes misted over slightly.

"Did he like you dressing up?"

"He never knew anything else."

"But did someone else like it? Your mother?"

"Yeah..."

"Then maybe you should do something with the bands he liked. Then you get to represent whoever that is you left behind but you can forget your mother. Like...I never forget my dad because of mom, and I eat a lot of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter for her."

With steaming eyes, the ten year old looked up at the two year older. She may have only known him for a couple of weeks, but she could already feel the trust was mutual. They were all each other had left in the world, and she was determined not to lose him, too. Slowly, she nodded, turning to his burning marshmallow about the same time he did in realization.

"That poor almost S'more."

"Oh, shut up."

But of them were actually smiling.

* * *

"You have got _no _idea how good this feels." A smile was playing across the rebel girl's face as she sawed off a last piece of her dark hair, leaving it just down to her shoulders and unevenly styled.

"Here. This would fit you nicely," Luke smiled himself, tossing her a gray blue-jean jacket.

She slipped it on comfortably over the dark pink shirt, admiring her tight dark blue jeans in the full body mirror. The names and logos of several bands she and Jason listened to constantly were in the forms of buttons soon over the vest, leaving her to slide on some tight, combat-style boots to complete her new look. To her mother, she'd look like a demon. To her, she looked epic.

To Luke, she looked beautiful. Not that she knew that yet, of course.

"C'mon," he commented, "let's get out of here before-"

The flashing of lights cut him short.

* * *

Being twelve, Luke wasn't quite sure what to do.

Thalia had her head ducked, her wrists balancing on her knees. Them being caught by the police certainly was going to lead to contacting parents, but since they wouldn't speak of it, it was definitely sending them to Juvie and a _lot _of questions neither of them would answer. Eventually they'd just look up their profiles, and their mothers would have to come get them.

He wasn't going to let that happen, at least not to Thalia.

Glancing around the room briefly, he leaned over to ear ear and muttered, "There's a window. I'll distract them, you slip out."

"They'll see me with this security," she muttered, "besides, we're constrained with these handcuffs and I'm not going to lose you."

"Do I look like I care?" he snapped quietly. Besides, he already knew she'd picked their locks and was merely keeping up the charade.

"Then we'll go together. Let them see us," she responded in a mutter as another officer came up to them with a clipboard.

"Names?" he asked/demanded in montone, pen posed and eyes tired. He was at a heavy weight, so it was a mutal agreement between the two best friend he couldn't catch him if they ran, at least not alone or right away.

"Yeah..." the boy replied easily. "The name's Screw. Screw you."

And with that, he snapped his wrists up in sync with the girl, revealing their rubbed raw but freed wrists. Moving just as fast with their bodies, they took after down the squeaky tile. Behind them, the man barked for back up, but Luke had a good feeling that they'd be out before they could. Nearby, he could hear Annoying snarling and fighting against the officers; He burst in with little other choice. Annoying, after all, was his company for years before he found Thalia, and he was going to leave him now.

"Luke!" Thalia suddenly screamed as he elbowed past the vet-officers, each armed with tranquilizer guns.

Something embedded itself into his thigh as he spun around, catching a glimpse of her kicking against the officers. Neither of them were re-armed again, so she needed him. The world began to fuzz over as Annoying yelped, letting out a snarl that ended in a pained whimper.

The boy was caught between his two best friends, but he passed out before he could make that decision.

* * *

"I hauled both of your asses out of there because of Aegis..." It broke his heart to hear her voice so full of tears, but he wasn't in much better shape as he patted down the worn soil.

Thalia had been the hero in the end, but her hacking and slashing job hadn't been done without some casualties. Both Luke and Annoying were tranquilized and helpless, leaving her to struggle with them out as more police searched for them. He'd woken up after about a day of them laying low, but Annyoing was in such bad health he passed on in the end. Now the two friends were standing over his little grave, right on the edge of a new state and ready to get the hell out of the there. Neither of them were willing to go without telling him goodbye, though, especially him.

"You _were _annoying..." he whispered, gently pressing his lips to the dirt. "But you were family. I swear I'll make you proud."

As they walked away hand in hand, he allowed Thalia to witness one of the few times he'd ever cry.


	5. In the End

The Run 5

**_Author Note:_** I went to see the "Sea of Monsters" and I have come up with a critique! :P

**As a sequel for the book: **Decent. It had some components in the actual book, but it changed some things and added things that didn't happen originally. Points for putting Thalia in, though!

**As a sequel for the movie: **Amazing. I loved the special effects and how they tied in loose ends, even if they did screw up mythology a bit.

* * *

**_*Time shift to two years into the future. Luke and Thalia have continued to run for authority, having been in several states and now making their way up north. Little do they know that they have been nearing Camp Half Blood for some time; They are grown a strong relationship and truly look after each other.* _**

* * *

**_***Four months previous.***_**

* * *

It was almost like he _knew _she was going to run that night.

Annabeth's young mind was highly conflicted as she made her way up the stairs. For once, her father had read her a story without the boys being there; It was just father and daughter while the boys were bathed. The seven year old girl slowly pulled on her fleece PJs, pulling her hair in a ponytail and slowly crawling under the covers. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping that night, and could only think of the small bag she had under the bed as her father kissed her goodnight. Once the room grew dark, she waited anxiously and listened to everybody else turning in for the night.

Forever seemed to pass before she finally jumped to her feet.

Working as quickly as she could, she grabbed up her bag and tiptoed down the stairs. The TV lulled on with her wicked stepmother fast asleep in front of it; The child froze and considered just running tomorrow.

_No, I have school tomorrow. They'll notice faster if I'm not there, especially because I love school, _the girl reminded herself. Both parents came to wake up the children in the morning before going to their jobs, so she knew they wouldn't realize she was gone until they got home; The teachers would likely think she was just sick.

Moving quietly and quickly, she crept across the carpeted floor toward the exit. She couldn't help but glance back at the woman she always knew would never be her mother- Sleeping, she looked almost peaceful. She appeared to be as motherly as she did to Matthew and Bobby, but the small blonde knew exactly what she was to _her_.

"_You little freak! You're not as smart as you think you are, you're just a little joke!" _That was her latest shriek of anger.

"_Oh yeah?! We'll see about that_!" The girl had retorted before running upstairs.

"We'll see indeed," the child whispered very quietly to herself, slowly clicking open the door and creeping up. Before her stepmother could stirr, she'd shut the door behind her as quietly and quickly as she could before running off into the night.

* * *

_*****Present time.*****_

* * *

"It's safe in here," Luke informed his companion after emerging from their newest potential hideout.

Thalia raised an eyebrow at the sorry sight of a house they'd stumbled into. It was in a clearing, which both of them had figured out was never a good thing when being hunted by monsters. They were actually only coming back in the area for a short time after getting turned around at the border by some chimera; This house would hopefully provide some shelter for the night or so until they could locate where a safehouse was rumored to be. At least, it's what an old lady in an old shop told them after handing them a baggy of ambrosia.

"Are you _sure _there's nothing in there?" the twelve year old girl raised an eyebrow.

The fourteen year old nodded confidently. "I scoped out the entire area. We're going to be okay for tonight."

As they entered, though, the girl couldn't help but feel at unease. There was something strangely alive about this building, and though Luke was completely sure of himself, she wasn't.

Just as Luke set down his small bag, she was proven correct.

She let out a shrill scream as the waterbugs scaled her body, something sharp like teeth drilling into her skin. Before both of their horrified eyes, the creatures shifted into large dogs, then wolf-like creatures with wings. The twelve year old crumpled at the weight, her wrist snapping under one's paw as she screamed, kicking and squirming wildly to activate her shield. Her friend was able to act more quickly, however, and was pulling one of his knives from one's hip when it began turning to ash. This gave her the slight opening she needed to lunge out, stumbling to her feet and activating her defense weapon.

The two demigods moved as quickly and precisely as they could, but in the end, they were still young. Both of them were too skinny and had gone through much for their young ages; it was obvious from a quick glance, much less a proper look. They'd become very strong and very smart and they both knew this well as they tore through the chimera.

But in the end, they were still just kids, and all they had with their little family of two.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The small girl was scared.

When she lived with her wicked stepmother and loving father, she lived in worry half her time. Now that she was on her own, though, she was completely terrified. There were far too many times she was nearly killed and plenty of times she _had _killed a demon much more wicked than what she'd feared, leaving her too afraid to even trust her own shadow. She was smart and strategic as a child of Athena, but she was just a child.

Nothing could change that.

She'd been heading to the East when she heard the sounds of fighting and screaming. Trusting her instincts instantly, she fled deeper into the woods until she reached an abandoned warehouse. Most of them had long since pulled free or destroyed, but it would serve as a fitful, undisturbed hiding place. The little blonde crept in, her tiny fist desperately hanging onto the hammer she'd snagged when being stalked at a hardware store. Upon sensing nothing, she slowly made her way into one of the collapsed buildings, easing herself into a small, tight ball on the ground beneath a large piece of plywood.

If nothing else, a small nap couldn't hurt anything.

Annabeth wasn't sure how long her nap lasted, but it ended abruptly when the sounds of quiet, cautious footsteps began approaching. Gripping the hilt of her only weapon with all of her worth, she dashed behind a piece of tin, crouching.

"I heard something..." A boy's voice whispered, making her grip the tool a bit tighter.

All of a sudden, her protection flew away, revealing her fully to the monsters. She let out a small battle cry, instantly lunging out. Unfortunately, the boy stepped out of the way just in time, grabbing her wrist and sending the tool flying. Growling and baring her small pointy teeth, she began kicking and punching with her all, determined not to let these two new monsters get the best of her.

"Whoa!" He yelped.

"No more monsters!" She growled. "Go away!"

"It's okay!" He was moving frantically to contain her, which only made her that more determined to get away. "Thalia, put your shield up. You're scaring her."

In moments her large, terrifying shield was gone, but the child was hardly calmed.

"Hey, it's alright," the girl tried. "We're not going to hurt you. I'm Thalia and this is Luke."

"Monsters!" she accused sharply.

"No," the boy replied in a kind tone. "But we know about monsters. We fight them, too."

Slowly but surely, she began to slow her struggles. She looked over the two in front of her; both had ripped clothes and looked like they'd been fighting something big and scary like she had.

"You're...like me?" She had her small fists tightly clenched just in case.

"Yeah. I mean...It's kind of hard to explain, but we're monster fighters, too. Where's your family?" The boy's tone was nice and patient, which eased even the terrified, suspicious child of Athena.

"My family hates me." Her own tone faltered slightly at the reminder, but she was determined not to cry in front of them. "They don't want me. I ran away."

The two 'monsters' looked at each other and the small girl glanced down. No matter how tough she was trying to be, that fear was always there, and they were only making it worse. There were a few monsters who'd tried to be nice before trying to kill her before, but these two still seemed a little different. They looked and talked almost just like she did, and so far they hadn't pulled out any weapons to use on her.

"What's your name, kiddo?" The girl, Thalia, asked.

"Annabeth." Even if they weren't on her side, them knowing her name probably wouldn't hurt.

"Nice name." Luke's compliment made her smile slightly. "Tell you what, Annabeth- you're pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you."

She felt her eyes grow wider. After so many years of rejection, these two almost strangers wanted her! They wanted her to actually help because she was fierce, a fighter!

"You could?"

"Oh, yeah." He flipped a knife around his hand, turning the hilt toward her. "How'd you like a real monster-slaying weapon? It's Celestial Bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer."

She instantly gripped onto the leather, not thinking about her former tool the second she had a hold on it.

"Knifes are only for the bravest and quickest fighters." She stared up to him as he spoke, knowing deep inside he was telling the truth. "They don't have the reach or power of a sword, but they're easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever."

A wide grin finally broke across her face. "I am!"

Thalia began grinning in response with him. He offered one hand to her. "We better get going, Annabeth. We have a safehouse on the James River. We'll get you some clothes and food."

"You won't take me back to my family?" She inquired for confirmation, as that was her constant fear. "Promise?"

He placed his larger hand on bony shoulder. "You're part of _our _family now. I'm not going to let anything hurt you. I'm _not _going to fail you like our families did. Deal?"

Her grin returned instantly. "Deal!"

"Now, come on." Thalia smiled herself, adjusting the strap on her wrist the watch came out of. "We can't stay put for long!"

* * *

Maybe it wasn't his brightest idea, but it wasn't his worst either.

The little seven year old they'd brought along with them only a few hours before was now curled in a small ball against the far corner of the safe house they'd finally found. Her breath was shallow and soft, proving she'd slipped into sleep after their eventful day. She was very young and still naive in some ways, but she certainly wasn't dim. Judging by the blonde hair, gray eyes, and logical outlook, she was a daughter of Athena. That proved to the boy she was going to be useful and would do all she could to help, but she _was _young.

At the very least Thalia didn't seem to mind.

She was standing outside of the safehouse with the fire, trying to keep it as dim as possible in order not to attract monsters. He leaned back on his hands, tipping his head up to gaze at the black sky from the rim of the house. The road ahead was going to be a lot different with the half-pint along with them, but there was something admirable in her bravery and determination. He had a strong feeling he wasn't going to regret letting her tag along and begin nudging her way into their little family.

He didn't truly regret anything, though, in the end.


End file.
